Help Puke Ariki name the faces of Ōpunakē and South Taranaki

NPDC’s Puke Ariki Museum is calling on the community to help identify the people, places, and stories captured in thousands of historic photographs through Rekindled: Ōpunakē Life through the Feaver Collection.  

The Feaver Collection is a remarkable collection of more than 10,000 glass plate negatives created by local photographers John and Samuel Feaver between the 1890s and 1940s. The images provide a rare and comprehensive record of life in Ōpunakē and rural Taranaki, capturing everything from farming and industry to family life, celebrations, friendships, and major events such as the World Wars and the Depression. 

Rekindled is supported by a $200,000 grant from Te Tahua Taiao Ngā Taonga, the Lottery Environment and Heritage Fund, enabling Puke Ariki to catalogue and digitise the fragile negatives, and share them online to be explored by the public. 

“Many of the people, places, and moments captured in these photographs can only be identified through local memory and whānau knowledge,” says Frith Williams, Puke Ariki Museum Director. “Rekindled invites the community to be part of this behind-the-scenes mahi, and to renew their connections with those who came before them.” 

Puke Ariki’s Pictorial Curator, Natasha McKinney, is leading the project, working alongside Ngaiwikau Taylor-Manu and a small project team. “We’re asking people to let us know if they recognise a face, a place, or a story. Every piece of information will help us build a deeper understanding of the collection and the communities it represents.” 

The team are carefully cataloguing and digitising each glass plate negative, regularly adding newly digitised images to the website. Information shared by the public will not only build knowledge of the collection but also help shape a future exhibition at Puke Ariki Museum in 2028 or 2029. 

People can explore the collection online, return regularly as new images are added, and get in touch if they recognise a person, place, or moment captured in the photographs. 

To explore and contribute to Rekindled: Ōpunakē Life through the Feaver Collection, visit: pukeariki.com/feavercollection  

At a glance  

• Puke Ariki, meaning Hill of Chiefs, stands on a former prominent pā site in central New Plymouth. 

• It opened in 2003 as a combined library and museum – an innovative storehouse for Taranaki’s taonga and stories. 

• The museum presents both long-term and regularly changing exhibitions across six gallery spaces. 

• The central and community libraries offer many events designed to foster a love of reading, learning, and connection. 

• Puke Ariki also houses a research centre, restaurant and cafe, and the district’s isite visitor information and ticketing hub.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ 

• The Lottery Environment and Heritage Fund supports projects that will benefit the community, hapū, and iwi, increase access to New Zealand’s cultural heritage, and preserve and protect New Zealand’s natural environment and history for future generations. 

Caption: Opunake Tennis Club Concert, "The Canoe Ballet". Oct 1927, GNF6941